‘Durham Palestine Educational Trust’

Qwaider Planet

PALESTINE REMEMBERED

We say that God does not change a peoples’ situation until they change what is within them. Lebanon treats Palestinians worse that criminals, the rest of the Arab nations are complicent in the Palestinian predicament, the Gulf states exploit their migrant workers, all in the name of capitalism and a luxury lifestyle for the minority. These sentiments, far from being condoned by Islam, are the very vices that Islam initially set out to eradicate in the Arab world. These actions are in direct opposition to the beliefs and values that we prescribe to.

We nitpick at superficial issues, we analyse in detail the precise dress code required for women and the effect their clothes have on the greater society, we ponder the deep question of whether the process of producing gelatin renders pork gelatin halaal, fatwas are issued on the precise percentage of alcohol is halaal in beverage while keeping silent on the persecution of a rape victim, our conscious befuddled about whether we can listen to music and if so which type of music is halaal. We go mental over some cartoons some poncy Dane draws, and roll out the red carpet, dancing in greeting of a mass murderer. Until we cleanse these heinous sins, adhere and submit to what we know Islam to be, then we deserve to live in this shame and we deserve the scorn the world levies at us.

A cop out often used when faced with our ugly reality, is that these are the actions of our unelected governments, that we have no say in what they do. Yet we also have a saying that a government reflects the people it rules… and I’m sorry to burst the bubble of our warped reality, but not even an absolute monarchy can survive without the compliance and support of its governants. Our lack of democarcy is not an excuse for our putrid souls, but a direct product of it.

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7 Responses

Laila, the world isn’t going to stop to mourn our dead, or to even consider the humiliation that foreign workers in the gulf.
Everything is going to continue to progress on all front.
The world just doesn’t stop or end.
I have talked about the treatment of workers before, I’ve talked about Islamic issues. Religious and faith issues, and gelatin/alcohol in the strict religious views. I’m only one person with so many ideas, but I promise to shoot for more major issues in the future

Oh dear! I did not mean to trivialise your post nor am I advocating us stopping… that would be the end of our progress and the total crumbling of everything we have done.

I used your post to illustrate how we can become engrossed in small things (from what I gathered from your post your meaning was similar, that we have become trapped in a haraam vortex)… if anything it was criticism of Qardawis silence on the matter of the Qatif girl while finding time to issue one on the alcohol content which is acceptable… even though the latter fatwa was uncessary since we alreday know this (why else would such beverages be sold in saudi?).

Of course life goes on, but unforrtunatley it has gone on to our detriment.

Hope things are clearer, and I apologise for the offence I obviously caused.

None taken Laila, I’m actually in total agreement with you. I also think it’s shameful to say the least.
Did you see the one About Qaradawi and Shiites which all turned out to be hot air inflamed by the media to get a few more readers/views!
We are stuck in this black hole. Every major issue gets clouded by a million minor ones that occupy people’s minds.
You know how much respect I have for you, I’m honored to have someone of your caliber mention one of my posts

Excellent post . And I share your frustration over the state we are in.
But I note you started by mentioning the treatment of the Palestinians at the hands of Lebanon. Clearly this is an issue you feel strongly about. As a Lebanese I will just say that many of us are keen on improving the lot of Palestinian refugees . Unfortunately lately the Lebanese state is failing its own citizens, let alone the Palestinians. In addition the behaviour of some Palestinian factions have not helped endear the refugees to sections of the population.
Ranting is god but looking for practical solutions should be the next step

Thanks for the feedback. Note I did say ‘Lebanon’ as opposed to ‘the Lebanese’, I am under no illusion that the dilemma of the Palestinian refugee in Lebanon is, well, actively encouraged by the Lebanese. Passive support is another matter, allowing the Palestinians to live a normal life would a) tip the balance overwhelmingly so that lebanon would become a sunni muslim majority b) increase the number of available labour thus reducing the overall salary and resulting in a less than luxurious lifestyle for the native Lebanese people, thus possibly to the ostrich scenario of ignoring them. I dont believe for a second that the Lebanese people consciously support the rather horrendous actions of the Lebanese army in recent times, but as is clear even from your comment “the behaviour of some Palestinian faction have not helped endear the refugee to sections of the population”, again this supports the passive support of what is really collective punishment for the crime of not being liked by some Lebanese…

This post has not been written to demonise the Lebanese people, I am fully aware of the support the Palestinian cause receives from them, probably more than from alot of others. I do note that they are like the rest of us, they drag their feet when it comes to giving up a few creature comforts even if it were to mean the release from abject poverty and persecution of a few.

Maybe I should have also mentioned Egypts active and public collaboration with Israel in the slow death of the Gazans. But I think people get the drift.

I agree practical solutions are a must now, I am interested in what your solution to the situation of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon would be?

Globally the solution is a bit clearer, a concerted effort of a large number of individuals making small concessions in their daily lives, to diffrentiate between what we ‘need’ and what we ‘desire’ and make the concessions on the latter.

When I speak of Palestinian factions I specifically mean the Takfiri brand and the ones who are in effect Syrian proxy mostly operating outside the camps (FPLP-GC, Fateh-Intifada and equivalent). Lebanon is a fragile country in the midst of a perpetual identity crisis. But expectations of it are high probably because superficially it presents itself as a modern liberal nation with a big ego. The reality couldnt be further from that.

I know many Lebanese who independently of their political views feel strongly about the plight of the refugees. getting people to work actively for it as you suggest is another matter.

Anyway in response to your question, please read the following articles I wrote sometime ago.Taken in context, they will summarise my view for a solution to the Palestinian question in Lebanon.